A pilot aboard the American Airlines plane that crashed in Washington D.C. shared his excitement about an upcoming family cruise in his final words before boarding the ill-fated flight.
Jonathan Campos, 34, had been eagerly looking forward to the trip with his loved ones, his heartbroken uncle, John Lane, revealed. Speaking from his home in Brooklyn, New York, Lane described Campos as someone who had been “living his dream” as a pilot, recalling how he played with toy planes as a child and aspired to soar through the skies, reports the Mirror.
The deadly midair collision, involving an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport late Wednesday , claimed 67 lives. It was the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States in nearly 25 years. Among the victims were more than a dozen figure skaters and seven members of the two flight crews.
Lane recounted his final conversation with Campos just before the flight. “He was such a good kid,” Lane said in an interview with the Mail. “We spoke for 10 minutes as he was boarding the plane. He sounded so happy. He was excited about going on a cruise next week on the Icon of the Seas. Ten of us were flying to Florida for a big family celebration. It’s heartbreaking.”
Campos graduated from Embry-Riddl e Aeronautical University in Florida in 2015, where he studied Aeronautical Science. His aunt, Beverly Lane, told the New York Times that Campos had dreamed of becoming a pilot since he was three. “He wanted to be free, to fly and soar like a bird,” she said.
Among the other crew members killed in the tragedy were First Officer Sam Lilley, 29, who was excelling in his career and engaged to be married later this year, and flight attendant Danasia Elder, a mother of two, remembered as being “full of life.”#
The crash has left investigators searching for answers, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) saying it could take months—or longer—to determine the cause. So far, over 40 bodies have been recovered, and authorities have refrained from speculating publicly about the collision.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented new flight restrictions over the Potomac River and the area near Reagan National Airport in the aftermath of the disaster. Only essential flights—such as those for medical emergencies, law enforcement, and air defense—are permitted in the restricted zone. Marine One, the presidential helicopter, is also exempt.
Two of the airport’s three main runways remain closed as recovery efforts continue. Terry Liercke, vice president and manager at Reagan National Airport, stated approximately 100 flights were canceled on Friday. The runways will likely remain closed for about a week, though the situation will be reassessed as the investigation progresses.
The NTSB is expected to release its preliminary report within 30 days, shedding light on the factors that led to this devastating collision. For now, families like Jonathan Campos’ are left mourning and grappling with the loss of loved ones taken far too soon.
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